BROCCOLI AND CHEESE SALAD

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli approx. 750gms  

150 gms cottage cheese

1 tbsp. olive oil or butter

3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped 

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces and put it in boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt for 2 minutes.
2. Then drain out the excess water and wash it with cold water.
3. Cut the cheese into cubes.
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped garlic to it sauté for a while then add broccoli and cook on high flame till it become a bit tender but don't let it loose its crunch. Or toss the broccoli with garlic and oil and bake it in the oven for aprox. 7-8 minutes on 200 C.
5. Add salt, pepper, cheese cubes and lemon juice stir a while and the salad is ready to be served. 

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BABY CARROTS IN WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients:
10 no. baby carrots stir fried
2 tbsp white sauce
1 tsp cream chease
1-2 tbsp milk

Method:

1. Blanch and stir fry baby carrots in butter with some salt and pepper.
2. Take some white sauce in a pan add one tbsp milk and a tsp of cream cheese or cheese spread to it then add stir fried baby carrots to it.
3. Mix well and cook till the cheese melts and the sauce coats the carrots. 
4. Garnish with some fresh parsley leaves and serve hot. 

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STIR FRIED BABY CARROTS

Ingredients:

10 no. baby carrots
2 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
some chopped parsley

Method:

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan add a pinch of salt and the baby carrots to it and cook for 5-10 minutes till the carrots become tender.
2. Drain out excess water.
3. Heat butter in a pan add blanched carrots, salt and pepper and cook till the carrots are cooked well .
4. Garnish with some chopped parsley leaves and serve.

Variation: you can add some garlic and honey to the butter and then roast the blanched carrots in that butter.

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QUINOA SALAD

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 min.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa,
2 cups water
1 cup cooked chickpeas (soaked overnite then boiled)
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion 

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

1 green chili finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice 

1 tbsp honey (optional)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse quinoa in a colander. Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. 
2. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, 
3. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell peppers, onion,tomatoes,green chili and coriander. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey,garlic ,black pepper and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
6. Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add it to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. ckeck for salt and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
7. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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COLD MACARONI SALAD

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup macaroni
1 onion diced
1 capsicum diced
1 tomato de-seeded and diced
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp refined oil

Method:

1. Boil 5-6 cups of water, add 1/2 tsp of salt and 2 tsp refined oil, add macaroni to it and boil till it is done.
2. Drain out excess water and rinse macaroni through cold water and keep aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan and add diced onion and capsicum to it.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the veges become tender and crunchy.
5. Now add cooked veges,diced tomatoes,ketchup, salt and pepper to cooked macaroni and mix well.
6. Keep it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours and serve chilled. 

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BAKED BROCCOLI / ROASTED BROCCOLI

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli 250 gms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder or 3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1-2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C.
2. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets and rinse them thoroughly.
3. Keep them in a strainer till all the water is drained out so that they roast better in the oven.
4. Then, in a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Spread out evenly in a single layer on a rimmed baking try.
6. Spread grated cheese all over and bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes or till the cheese melts or till the edges start getting brown.  

Notes:

1. If you like you can add 1 tbsp bread crumbs over the grated cheese and then bake the broccoli.This will make it a bit crunchy.
2. If you don't want to add cheese then roast broccoli without cheese and then you can drizzle a spoon full of lemon juice over the roasted broccoli. 

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BOILED BEETROOT SALAD

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

2 beetroots

Method:

Beetroot is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants. But it is not very good in taste when you eat it in raw form . The easiest way to make it taste very good is just put it in pressure cooker along with some water and give 2 whistles (in a 3 ltr. capacity cooker). Let the pressure release by itself and then take it out and let it be cool. then peel it, cut it in desired shape and serve it as salad with or without any seasoning or dressing. If the beetroot is big in size then you may need to give one more whistle. The key is not to over cook nor under cook.

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COLESLAW SALAD

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream
1 clove garlic crushed (optional)
1/2 cabbage shredded
1 carrot shredded
1/2 cucumber de-seeded and shredded
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Starting with half a head of cabbage, thinly slice the cabbage, julienne a carrot and cucumber. Thinly slice onions.
2. For the mayo dressing add garlic, lemon juice, cream and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix in with the cabbage, carrot,cucumber and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Keep it in the refrigerator and serve cold.

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WATERMELON BALLS

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 0 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon (tarbuj) balls
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ginger (adrak) juice
1/4 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste
mint sprig

Method:

1. Scoop out the watermelon balls.
2. Make a dressing mixing honey,lemon juice,ginger juice,pepper and salt and mix well and keep aside.
3. Arrange all the balls in a bowl in such a way that they do not get mashed.
4. Pour the dressing evenly over the bowl.
5. Put in the refrigerator.
6. Serve cold, garnished with a sprig of mint.

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CUCUMBER SALAD

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : nill

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 cucumbers
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
a few mint leaves
1 tbsp pomegranate marmalade
1 cup hung curd
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Method:

1. Put cucumbers in a polythene bag one by one and beat them with rolling pin (belan) without peeling off the skin.You need to taste each cucumber for bitterness.If it is O.K. then put it in a bowl.
2. If any piece is bigger than a bite then break it with your hand.
3. Now mix rest of the ingredients except salt and mix well.
4. Keep it in refrigerator and serve chilled after sprinkling salt.

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SOYA NUGGET STIR FRIED SALAD

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soya nuggets
1 onion diced
1/2 capsicum diced
1 small tomato diced
2-3 black olives sliced
2-3 lettuce leaves
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup or honey mixed with lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Soak the soya nuggets in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out all the water.
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions and capsicum in it and cook for a minute or two till the veges become crisp and add soya nuggets and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Now switch off the gas and add rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
4. The sald is ready to be served.

Notes:

1. If you like you can add chilli sauce and soya sauce as per taste.

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RUSSIAN SALAD

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : nil

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

15-20 french beans
1 carrot
1/2 cup green peas
1/4 cup corn kernels
1 boiled  potato
3-4 pineapple slices

50 gms grapes black or green or both (optional)
1 apples
50 gms fresh cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt to taste
black pepper powder to taste

Method:

1. Chop the vegetables into small pieces of same size and boil for 3-5 minutes.
2. Chop the pineapples and apples again in same size and grapes into halves.
3. Mix all the fruits and vegetables.
4. Mix the mayonnaise and cream and then mix this mayonnaise and cream mixture thoroughly with vegetables and fruits. Add salt and pepper.
5. Serve cold.

Note:

1. Do not over boil the vegetables,and the veges should not loose the crunch.While boiling the vegetables you can add a tsp of oil ,this will help veges to retain their color and the crunch.
2. Either use both fresh cream and mayonnaise or any one of of them depending upon the availability and taste. Adjust the quantity accordingly.  

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CABBAGE SALAD

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 2-3 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 onion sliced
1/2 cup sliced bell peppers (red,green,yellow) as per taste or availability
2 cups cabbage shredded
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and stir onions and bell peppers for one to two minutes or till they become crunchy.
2. Now add cabbage and stir further for a while and add salt, pepper and lemon juice.
3. Mix well and serve.

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BROCCOLI SALAD

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1/2 cup broccoli cut into florets
1/2 cup mushrooms diced
1 cup red cabbage shredded
5-6 sliced blanched almonds
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add all broccoli and salt and when it becomes tender add mushrooms and stir for a while now add red cabbage and stir further for 1 minute.
2. Now add black pepper and sliced blanched almonds and serve.

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ZUCCHINI BELL PEPPER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 medium sized onion diced
1/2 cup red, yellow, green bell peppers mixed together
1 cup zucchini diced
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey or to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

 Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and add all the vegetables one by one in order of their tenderness and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring and mixing till they become tender and are not over cooked.
2. Add salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
3. Switch off the gas and add lemon juice and honey and serve.

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STIR FRIED VEGETABLES

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 3-5 minutes

Serves:2- 4

Ingredients:

1 cup  broccoli,cauliflower mixed together

1/2 cup red,green,yellow bell peppers

1 cup mushrooms, baby corn,peas,french beans and carrots mixed together

1-2  tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil water in a pan switch off the gas and add broccoli,cauliflower,mushrooms, baby corn,peas,french beans and carrots to the boiling water,add a pinch of salt and cover the lid.
2. Drain out the water after 3-4 minutes and keep the vegetables aside.
3. Heat olive in a pan add all the bell peppers stir for a minute then add all the boiled vegetables ,add salt and black pepper.
4. Stir fry all the vegetables till they become crisp and crunchy.
5. Serve hot.  

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RED RADISH SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup red raddish thinly sliced

5-6 slices of orange pealed

1 spring onion for garnishing

1/4 tsp black salt or as per taste

For dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey or powdered sugar
1/4 tsp black salt or as per taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients of salad in a bowl and garnish with spring onion.
2. If you are using salad dressing then do not add black salt as the salt is in the dressing itself.
3. To make the dressing shake or mix all the ingredients of dressing and pour it on the salad. 

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CUCUMBER BLACK GRAM DELIGHT

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers
1/2 cup hung yogurt
1/2 cup boiled black gram(kale chane)
salt and black pepper powder to taste
Pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Peel the cucumbers and check for bitterness.
2. Cut the cucumber in 1"-1.5" long pieces.
3. Scoop out , just a little, to get a small cavity in each piece of cucumber with the back of a teaspoon or a scoop.
4. Mix hung yogurt,boiled black gram,salt and pepper powder in a bowl.
5. Fill the cavity of cucumber with this filling.
6. Garnish with coriander or mint leave and pomegranate seeds.
7. Keep them in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

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